Is embolization useful before liver cancer surgery?

In general, preoperative embolization for liver cancer refers to transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). Whether preoperative embolization is beneficial usually depends on the patient's specific condition, tumor characteristics, and overall health status. If any discomfort occurs, prompt medical consultation is recommended. The detailed analysis is as follows:

For patients with large liver tumors, direct surgical resection may be difficult and high-risk, or the tumor may have rich blood supply, increasing the risk of severe bleeding during surgery. If the patient’s overall health is good and there are no contraindications such as severe cirrhosis or portal vein tumor thrombosis, preoperative embolization is generally beneficial. Embolization can block the blood vessels supplying the tumor, reduce nutrient delivery, shrink the tumor size, and decrease tumor activity. This not only reduces the difficulty of surgical resection but also lowers the risk of intraoperative bleeding, thereby creating more favorable conditions for successful surgery.

However, if the liver tumor is small and superficially located, making direct surgical removal relatively easy and low-risk, or if the patient has contraindications to embolization such as severe liver dysfunction or coagulopathy, preoperative embolization is usually of limited benefit and may even pose unnecessary risks. Performing embolization in such cases may damage healthy liver tissue, increase the burden on liver function, and potentially lead to complications such as bleeding or infection, which could negatively affect subsequent surgery and patient recovery.

When considering preoperative embolization for liver cancer, patients should ensure thorough imaging evaluations to clearly determine tumor size, location, vascularity, and its relationship with surrounding tissues. A multidisciplinary team should comprehensively assess liver function, coagulation status, and other key indicators before treatment to determine suitability for embolization. After embolization, close monitoring of physical responses is essential; any abnormalities such as abdominal pain, fever, or jaundice should be promptly reported to the physician. Regular follow-up examinations according to medical advice after the procedure are crucial to evaluate tumor changes and adequately prepare for subsequent surgery.